How to hire a geospatial scientist

How to hire a geospatial scientist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step geospatial scientist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a geospatial scientist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new geospatial scientist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The geospatial scientist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A geospatial scientist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, geospatial scientists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of geospatial scientists.

   Type of Geospatial Scientist	Description	Hourly rate
   Geospatial Scientist	Computer and information research scientists invent and design new approaches to computing technology and find innovative uses for existing technology. They study and solve complex problems in computing for business, medicine, science, and other fields.	$35-80
   Research And Development Internship	When it comes to Research and Development Internship, the duties will vary according to the organization or company. Most of the time, the responsibilities will revolve around observing the industry, taking part in the research and analysis, lend a helping hand in experiments and surveys, explore theories and attempt to create a model of out it, present findings for evaluation, and develop more innovative designs and systems... Show more	$14-22
   Computer Scientist	A computer scientist is responsible for analyzing network infrastructure and designing efficient computer systems according to clients' specifications and business functions. Computer scientists inspect the safety and security of the organization's database, ensuring its protection from malicious activities and unauthorized access... Show more	$35-69

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GIS
   • R
   • Python
   • Visualization

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop and implement tools in both IDL/ENVI and Erdas to automate preprocessing and enhancement of imagery data for exploitation and interpretation.
   • Test multiple HSI detection algorithms against hundreds of different camouflage schemes and materials.
   • Compare the performance of multiple HSI detection algorithms to detect and discriminate among different camouflage schemes and materials.
   • Develop probabilistic models of disease progression to predict future healthcare utilization and capitation revenue.
   • Communicate defects, encounter during regression test and followed-up with developers until all issues are resolved.
   • Require to acquire geospatial information and extract essential elements from a wide array of multi-intelligence data to include Sigint and Masint.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your geospatial scientist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A geospatial scientist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, geospatial scientists' average salary in hawaii is 63% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level geospatial scientists earn 56% less than senior-level geospatial scientists.
   • Certifications. A geospatial scientist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a geospatial scientist's salary.

   Average geospatial scientist salary

   $111,782yearly

   $53.74 hourly rate

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   Entry-level geospatial scientist salary

   $74,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

4. Writing a geospatial scientist job description

   A job description for a geospatial scientist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a geospatial scientist job description:

   Geospatial scientist job description example

   Join ICES on a contract impacting national security as an Expert Geospatial Scientist. This position is located in Springfield, VA. This position requires an active/current TS/SCI security clearance and be willing and able to pass an additional polygraph as needed.
   
   As an Expert Geospatial Scientist, specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
   
   Duties:

   • Perform research in spatial and/or temporal (ST) data mining, ST databases, ST statistics; machine learning and cybersecurity, digital forensics, and/or remote sensing.
   • Analyze and make sense of geospatial imagery and spatial and/or temporal information, evaluating research performance metrics, and working with scientists on research projects.
   • Coordinate testing & evaluation of research efforts and transitioning research into operational environments.
   • Collaborate with IC and DoD agencies on research projects in relevant areas.
   • Demonstrate oral and written communications, including the ability to prepare briefings of technical material to technical and non-technical audiences.
   • Plan and track progress of complex technical projects and coordinating technical exchange meetings and working groups.

   Required Qualifications:

   • Active TS/SCI Clearance.
   • Work experience in ST data mining, ST databases, ST statistics, machine learning, cybersecurity, digital forensics and/or remote sensing.
   • At least 15 years of experience and a PhD degree, or an Master of Arts/ Master of Science degree and at least 18 years of experience, or a Bachelor of Arts/ Bachelor of Science degree and at least 20 years of experience.
   • Degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, or Statistics.
   • Recognition within a discipline relevant to the work associated with the position. Types of recognition include Federal, national or internationally recognized professional organization or academia, and/or relevant publications in reputable medium.

   Desired Qualifications:

   • Experience writing at least 1 peer-reviewed publication in one or more of the following technical areas: ST data mining, ST databases, ST statistics; machine learning, cybersecurity, digital forensics or remote sensing.

   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right geospatial scientist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with geospatial scientists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit geospatial scientists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   To find geospatial scientist candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit geospatial scientists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   If your interviews with geospatial scientist applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new geospatial scientist

   Once you've decided on a perfect geospatial scientist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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